Relay



A. B. KENDALL 1,730,216

RELAY Filed March 1, 1926 ,b v latter are fenergizfe Patented Oct. 1, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT omcs Application filed Karch l, 1928. Serial No. 91,378.

trolling member which can readily be. in-

' stalled-in certain types of standard relays at present in general use, which member w1 ll controlthe action of the relay wlth m1n1- mum current consumption. '15

A further object is to provide a relay controlling member of simple and economical construction.

Other objects relate to features of construc tion and arrangement of parts which Wlll be apparent from a consideration of the followmg specification and accompanying drawin wherein igure 1 is a sectional elevation of a form of relay showing an embodiment of my 1nvention.

Fig. 2 a sectional Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view corresponding plan view taken on line ber in horizontal position.

Fig. 4 illustrates a difl'erent form of controll ng member, and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic 1llustrat1on of a circuit embodying a standard relay arm adaptedto be controlled by my improved controlling member. In the drawings, a relay casrng'lO ls'shown for housing the moving parts of the relay mechanism the top of the casing being closed by an insu ating cover 11. Electromagnets 12 are sup orted in the insulating cover 11 and-have their lower ends extending mto the interior of the casing. An armature 13 is I pivotally mounted in the casing, and is adapted to be attracted a the magnets 12 when the The armature"13' may be provided with rearwardly extending portions 13 which are .pivotally secured to the casing by screws 14. To thearmature 13 a contact arm or reare. formed 0 'Fig. 5. Each each is ada to Fig. 1, but showing the controlling mem fore be used ditlonal mechanism for causing tion,'I have effected by means lay controlling member 15 is secured as by insulating screws 16, or the like; The arm 15 is formed in two sections 15and 15", as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, which sections are joined by means of a resilient strip of material 17, which is riveted or otherwise secured to the intermediate ends of the said sections, the free end of section 15 being provided with curved or flaring contacts 15'. As shown in Fig. 2, additional contact arms 18, 19 and. 20 are provided, which arms, however,

one section each, as shown in of said arms is provided, re spectively, with contacts 18., 19 and 20', and

ted for controlling separate circuits, as wi 1 be hereinafter explained.

, Many relays in use atthe present time are constructed similarly to the relay above described, except that in said standard relays the arm 15 18,-19 and 20. In relays of such'construction, when the m ets are energized b electric current, the armature'13will be di-awn toward the magnet' which will lift the contact arms, thereby interrupting the circuit of the magnets, causin the armatures to drop back to lower osition. The result of this construction is that the armatures tend to vibrate very rapidly, and the relay arms cannot thereto cause the intermittent actua- 'tion of signals such as lights, as will be clearly understood. It is therefore necessary to employ with these standard relays some adthe armature his slower acof my regulating or controlling member 15, above described. A back contact 21 is-carried by an arm or bracket 22, depending from the insulatin cover 11. A front contact 23 is also provide and is su ported by the cover 11, as shown in Fig. 1. en the series magnets 12 are energized by current flowing from battery 24, through wire 25, arm 22, thence through arm to be actuated more slowly.

or controlling member 15, wire 26, and from ber 15 Willremain in contact with the contact or terminal member 21 for an instant after the armature starts upwardly, thereby permitting the magnet to become thoroughly energized and the windings thereof saturated before the circuit is broken, as will be clear.

Suitable stop members 29 are secured to the lower sides of the sections 15 and 15 of arm 15 adjacent their intermediate ends, as shown, for limiting the flexing action of the spring 17 when section 15 moves upwardly. The

upward movement of armature 13 will bring ,15 and wire 26. Upon release of the armature by he ma nets 12 when the magnetic flux thereof has su sided, the arm 15 will drop to the lower position, shown in Fig 1. U on the striking of the lower member 15 with the contact 21 the lower section 15- of the arm 15 will vibrate, the flexible member 17 being of such resiliency as to permit this action. The vibration of this member with reference to contact 21 will cause a pulsating current to and 20 will be ,actuatedby the armature 13,,

pass through the magnets 12 which will prevent momentarily the energization of the magnets required for attracting the armature:

-When the vibrations have subsided a direct mit the same ,to vibrate to accomplish the same result, if desired.

Another form of controlling member is shownin Fig. 4. 1 This member 15 is constructed similarly to the corresponding member ofFig. 1', except that a hinge 31 is employed for connecting the two sections of the member.- In this construction, it is desirable 'to connect the two sections electrically by means of aflexible wire 32 to afio'rd an uninterrupted path for the flow of current as will be clear. 1

It will be understood that the arms 18,19

and that each of said arms when in back position will engage a contact 33, corresponding to contact 21, and supported by'brackets 34, similar to bracket 22. Whenin said position, each of said arms willclose a circuit similar to that shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5. In each of said circuits there may be one or more signalling devices, such as lam s 35 and 36, or other apparatus, which it is esired to control intermittently. When 1 the arms, such as arm 18 in Fi 5, is in back position,- lp 35 will be in clrcuit with battery movement of the arm to front position into contact with the front contact member 37, the lamp 36 will be lighted. The batter 38 of Fig. 5 may, of course, be the same as attery 24 of Fig. 1, or the auxiliary circuits opened and closed by arms 18, 19 and 20 may be supplied with current from a. generator or other source independent of the battery 24. By adjusting the contact members 15 and contacts 21 and 23, the device can be timed so as to operate more slowly'or more rapidly.

Although I have shown certain features of my invention for the purpose of illustration, it will be apparent that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit thereof, and I do not wish to be restricted to the specific embodiments herein shown. and described, except where limitations thereto appear in the appended claims.

WhatI claim is:

1. An electrical relay including a pair of contacts, one of which is adapted to be moved .rect current magnet, comprising an armature,

a pair ofcontact members, one of said members being secured to and movable'by said armature, said members when in contact servin to close the magnet circuit forattracting said armature, said movable contact member being adapted upon breaking the magnet circuit and the releasin of said armature to impinge upon said ot er contact member to establish a momentary vibratory relation beioo tween said contact members, whereby a pulsating direct current is sent through said magnet for delaying the attraction of said armature until said vibrations have subsided.

3. A direct current relay comprising a magnet having an armature, a contact arm movable by said armature for opening and closing anelectric circuit, and means for regulatin the actuation of said armature, 'sald mean comprising a contactand a contact arm inv circuitwith said magnet, said am being formed in two connected sect-ions one of which F is resilient and adapted to vibrate momentarily upon engagement thereof with said contact thereby converting the direct current into a pulsating current which is inefl'ectual to actuate the magnet-until said pulsations have subsided.

4. The combination with a relay compris ing a magnet, an armature actuatable thereby, a member movable by said armature for opening and closing an electric. circuit, of front 'and back contacts, a contact arm movable by said armature from one to the other of said contacts,-.means comprising a vibratory member for momentarily delaying actuation of said armature b said magnet upon engagement of said bac contact with said arm, and means for delaying the release of said armature by said ma et upon engagement of said.

arm with said ront contact, said last named means comprising a circuit shunting the ma et.

n testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

ALLEN B..KENDALL. 

